twenty one days
by sweetlittlething
Summary: [AU] He was Humanity's Strongest; silently suffocating from the weight on his shoulders. She was a ruined woman; the type that had long been broken by the cruelty of the world. For twenty one days, they could convince themselves that things could ever be okay. For twenty one days, they could live in the illusion that the world could still be beautiful. Levi/Mikasa
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **don't own SnK. please review n_n

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_A pair of lips gently pressed against the hollow of her neck, mapping out the expanse of pale, soft skin that they had grown quickly accustomed to during the past 3 weeks. Dead mute, head lulling languidly as he loomed over her, she let him continue his ministrations, one strap of her flimsy dress slipping past her shoulder without preamble whilst the summer air buzzed outside, perfectly oblivious to the heartache contained in that one room. Normally she would have been writhing and animated, like an angry tigress refusing to be tamed (and it was him,_ only _him, who could make her feel so warm, so _alive_)_,_ but today was different._

_Today was the last time they could be together._

_"Don't wear such a shitty expression, brat," her lover now chided bluntly as he pulled away to pin her with a severe gaze, (an obvious attempt to simply rile her up like old times, albeit with the bite lacking behind his bark) "I can't concentrate when you're looking so pathetic. Lighten up."_

_"Levi." the young woman now simply said, her dark, starless gaze turned upwards, his own eyes unwillingly fixated on how tragically beautiful she was, how tragically beautiful all of_ this _was. Levi almost wanted to turn away from her, to grit his teeth and clench his fists in frustration. _Why _them? Why was it when two broken people finally found some semblance of happiness together, life somehow managed to fuck it up anyway?_

Bullshit, _he thought angrily, his usual composure now slipping right before him, just like their time together. _It's all fucking bullshit.

_And then, she spoke, her voice even yet soft. It was the type of voice he'd imagine playing in his head in his final moments, the one last snatch of serenity granted to him in a moment of death._

_"The world is cruel, isn't it?"_

_And this time he couldn't help it. _Fuck,** fuck**,_ he thought sharply as the tears began to swim in his eyes, an unwillingly resolute look set in his eyes as he took her by the shoulders, this time her dark eyes now looking into his unflinchingly. Gazing into them directly, any would have thought that the dark, almost _dead _look in her eyes showed that she didn't care, that she lacked the capacity to feel or acknowledge the uncharacteristic wetness in his eyes._

_Levi, however, knew differently. _

_She was afraid._

_And suddenly, it was like a burst of searing, vivid colour, in all of it's overwhelmingly unparalleled beauty: lips smashing, teeth gnashing and tongues artfully intertwined, like a wildly savage dance they had practiced over and over. It was beautiful, in all its heart-aching perfection and tragedy. The way he felt wetness against his cheeks and hers, unsure whose tears were whose, urging himself to press his body all the more forcefully against her own warm and welcoming one as if he were afraid that letting go would make her vanish right before him. It was unfamiliar for him to lose such control, to fall completely to need and desire like a shameless animal who knew nothing of self-restraint, but this was Mikasa: with her, everything was uncertain and unfamiliar; raw and dangerous. Perhaps that was what first attracted him to her, other than the creamy loveliness of her legs and the defiant fire in her eyes._

_She was wild and contradictory, and most importantly _his.

_Finally, their lips parted, the quiet half-Oriental now perched delicately over his own form, long legs wrapped comfortably around his waist as if they had finally found where they rightfully belonged. The way she gazed down at him, making Humanity's Strongest feel so powerless and vulnerable; so loved and_ alive._ It was enough to have the Corporal's heart constrict painfully in his chest. Gingerly, Levi reached up inbetween ragged breaths to take a strand of dark hair in his fingers, committing each and every fiber of her to memory. Their inevitable parting would be difficult, but at least he could drown himself in his work and in the blood of Titans slain. She however was the one who would fair most certainly worse out of the two. It made him feel helpless and sick._

_A moment's silence stretched between the lovers, allowing each of them to drink in each other's presence as the quietness of it all swallowed up the room. It was like appraising a painting before leaving a gallery one knew they could never return to, the way he admired the softness of her exotic black hair, whilst she marveled at the plain of muscle beneath his starched white top, her hand trailing down his front appreciatively. Was this the price of pursuing happiness, the aching in his chest and the coldness in her eyes? If so, Levi almost wished he couldn't feel a damn thing._

Almost.

_"Say, Levi," Mikasa now spoke up once more, her face inching closer and closer to his as she leaned forward, soft breasts pressed against his hard chest, "this world is cruel..." she whispered again, dark hair tickling his face as her forehead pressed against his, Levi's face for once stunned and completely enraptured by the beauty before him. Soft pink lips edged so treacherously close to his own that he thought that if he died right now it would be okay because she was by his side, because she was _his _and he was _her's _and nothing, and no fucking _royalty _or anyone could change that. It was as true as the Scouting Legion wings emblazoned on the back of his jacket, as true as the tattoo on her wrist and the _want _in her eyes right now. They were each other's and that was that, no matter how fucking beautiful and painful it was at the same time._

_Mikasa pinned him with one last forlorn, misty look before she finally pressed those holy lips against him, Levi falling into total surrender to the beautiful, untouchable creature that was only Mikasa,_ his _Mikasa._

This world is cruel...

_"... and it's also very beautiful." _

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**Twenty One Days**

**by _sweetlittlething_**

**Chapter I**

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_Three weeks before_

"I know, that it may be a nuisance," Erwin stated rather sympathetically, as the other male merely grit his teeth and turned his head to the side, a scoff barely contained on his lips, "but the King has personally requested for you." _As he always does, each and every goddamn year._ To the shorter Lance Corporal, it seemed rather pathetic, the way the royalty would literally grovel at his feet (where he believed the monarchy belonged anyhow, the _scum_) for him no matter how many times he refused. This wasn't anything new to him, being better described as an annual occurrence, nonetheless that didn't make it any less bothersome or annoying. "In any given circumstance, there's no need for you to accept despite how much gold or women he offers you. Unless, of course, you want to join them," the blonde Commander now added, as the Lance Corporal now turned his head to address the taller man with his usual emotionless, deadpan eyes, "that's entirely your choice, Levi."

"Erwin," Levi had began, his voice keeping its usual low, even tone, "don't start that bullshit with me - "

"I know, I know," the blonde had laughed lightly, as his shorter accomplice looked far from amused, "just bear with it for the usual three weeks, will you?" the Commander remarked rather good-naturedly, as Levi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his longtime comrade and closest friend. "And please, for the King's sake, try not to be too hard on him, will you? That stunt you pulled last year with cleaning and redecorating your entire room quite literally gave him a heart attack from what I can recall."

This time, Levi's usually impassive face now twitched at the corners of his lips. Just barely, but enough for Erwin to know that he was clearly still pleased with the outcome from the year before. There'd been chaos and upheaval from that little stunt he had pulled from the year before, but the King had been unable to take any measures to reprimand the short soldier, wanting to so desperately keep on his good side. It had been a rather humorous affair, at the King's expense of course.

"No trouble this time around, you hear me Levi?"

"I'm not making any promises."

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_Well fuck this shit, _Levi thought rather irately as he sat in the room he had been ushered into, crossing his legs in annoyance whilst his face was set in its usual unapologetic scowl. It was the same old routine for him, each and every year: get shoved into some room, drink some tea, wait for an insurmountable amount of a time before the King finally made his appearance and begged him into considering working as his personal guard within the Military Police. Levi would always bluntly reject the offer, social etiquette and graces be damned, and then the King would respond by keeping Levi within the castle grounds for three weeks or so in an effort to persuade him otherwise with the promise of luxury, women and endless wealth. Levi considered the King lucky. If it weren't for Erwin, he wouldn't even so much as look the scum of a king in the eye, royalty or not. He felt filthy just being in the _presence _of him, the corrupt and greedy prick.

"Ah, Lance Corporal, so we meet again..." wordlessly, Levi remained still in his seat, not even acknowledging the King with so much as a flick of his eyes. It wasn't that Levi particularly enjoyed being stubborn or rude (alright, so maybe that wasn't _entirely _true), he just didn't believe that wasting time on scum who didn't deserve his time was worth it. And the King was the perfect example of such unworthy scum, the way he indulged in his false pretenses of invulnerability and luxury whilst hundreds of his loyal citizens died in his stead.

The King took his seat, slightly offended by Levi's indifference but willing to overlook it. _As he did every single year. _Neatly, he folded his hands upon the table between the pair of them; golden rings glinting beautifully from around his fingers. Each ring easily was equivalent to a few kilograms of meat in value, handcrafted with such fine craftsmanship that any man would be envious of the owner's wealth and luxury. Levi however simply thought it looked gaudy. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Only about the... say, fourteenth or fifteenth time?" the King spoke amicably, as the Corporal simply returned a rather bored, lifeless stare.

"Respectfully, your _majesty_," Levi grit out unflinchingly, his gaze cool yet hard, "why don't we save ourselves both some time and cut to the chase, shall we?"

Now, the King's gaze turned slightly severe, if not glinting with slight intimidation from the man. "You've always been a bit of a rough character, Corporal Levi..." the King snapped slightly, whilst Levi had enough grace not to yawn in his presence. "But, I suppose that one doesn't achieve the status of 'Humanity's Strongest' without being so hardened and tough," the monarch mused jovially, Levi's blank, dead gaze clearly unimpressed by such unnecessary comments.

_Che. What a waste of time. _Even dealing with that shitty Yaeger brat was preferable to this codswallop.

"Anyhow... I'm sure you know why you have been summoned here, Corporal. You're not a stupid man, nor does your track record of 'Humanity's Strongest' suggest so. However, what I do find, quite frankly, '_stupid_', is the fact that you still refuse to join the Military Police to personally serve your _K__ing. _Will this year's answer change, perhaps?" the King's lips stretched across his face in a pathetic attempt to smile. Calmly, Levi uncrossed his legs, this time languidly leaning onto the table between them with his elbows, nestling his chin upon his interlocked fingers for support. Seconds trickled by for what seemed like several awkward hours for the King. And then, he spoke.

"No."

If the King was dejected by such a response however, he didn't show it. Harmlessly enough, the monarch leaned back in his chair, looking resigned but not quite defeated. Almost as if knew the battle hadn't been completely lost just yet. "Well Corporal," he began diplomatically, "I can't say I'm surprised by your answer. But hopefully by the end of the next three weeks, you'll have a change of heart, hm? Especially after you see what I have to offer you _this _year. Or more correctly, _who," _he smirked deviously, teeth glinting almost as brightly as the rings adorning his fingers. Levi however remained apathetic to such a bold claim. Vices such as women, alcohol and wealth had no meaning to him; no value or hold. Especially not after witnessing people deprived of such petty yet simple pleasures so cruelly, crushed by a Titan's jaw and reduced to nothing more than torn emblems he kept locked away in a drawer he'd rather much not open.

He didn't deserve happiness, not when he'd seen so many have such an emotion so cruelly ripped away from them.

"Well, let's get you settled in, shall we?" the King continued to blabber on noisily, as Levi began to feel his temple throb from irritation (he always _did _have a rather low tolerance for mindless idiocy). Clapping his hands forcefully, rushing to the King's side were two Military Police officers, fists struck across their breasts uniformly as they stood up right. Levi had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at such flamboyancy and 'dedication' they committed to their stances. If there were any worse than the King and his indulgent, self-absorbed ways, it was the Military Police. Despite having had his past shaded with dealings involving the particular faction, nowadays such experiences from days long gone now only served to cement his critical distaste for them. Lazy, ignorant, not to mention practically incapable of being able to do anything if faced with a real threat, such people were worth nothing of Levi's time either.

"You two!" the King barked, as the two soldiers stood alert, Levi's scowl intimidating them justly, "take the Lance Corporal to his room immediately and see to it that he attended to! Whatever he wants, just do it!" the monarch declared boldly, as the shorter male affixed the two with a cold, piercing gaze. One of the Military Police, clearly a newbie, gulped whilst the other tried their best not to wilt beneath his scrutinizing glare. At this, Levi allowed a small smirk of satisfaction. _At least I'll have something to do for the next three weeks, _he thought rather sadistically, the terror quite palpable in the younger soldier's eyes.

And so, the infallible Humanity's Strongest was led away to his room, but not before hearing the words of the King slipped so carelessly to one of his passing guards, his voice _just _loud enough for Levi to pick up on what he was saying:

"and make sure," the monarch breathed lowly, as Levi eavesdropped completely undetected,

"that _she _does not cause any trouble, do you hear me?"

* * *

Levi remembered the first time he had been invited to the King's side.

It had been many years ago, at least a whole decade, but Levi remembered it well.

He hadn't been easily swayed then and he wasn't about to experience a change of heart right now either, mahogany door shut before him as the two Military Police officers stood to the side, cautiously keeping their distance from him.

"Your room, sir," the older of the two coughed out hurriedly, as Levi unceremoniously swung the door open.

The first time he'd come to this room, several years ago, still slightly rough around the edges from his glory days of being ruler of the corrupt and dirty underground, he had been slightly impressed by the grandeur and sheer luxury of the room. From the lavish tapestries to the large bed and golden-framed paintings, Levi had appraised each and every item, wondering out of habit how much each item would be worth on the black market. The room had been large and inviting, but had ultimately had no effect on his decision to remain by Erwin's side at the end of the standard three weeks. In the following years this room had remained as his personal quarters for each of the three weeks, Levi having long grown to familiarize himself with the velveteen luxury of the bed sheets as well as the glossy, polished edges of the furniture.

This time, however, something was different.

There was a new addition to the room.

Levi caught himself _just _in time to mask the pure surprise on his face upon noticing a certain something in his room.

Or rather, a certain some_one. __What..._

"... the _hell_," Levi breathed as he couldn't help but stare at what/_who _was before him.

There, sitting rather disinterestedly on the floor was a young female, barely a woman, with long creamy legs tucked beneath her as Levi merely stared at her, stunned yet slightly intrigued by this new addition to the room. She looked barely out of her teens, 17 or 18 at most, and he would have assumed younger had he not noticed the cold hardness of her gaze, the weary emptiness of her dark, shadowy orbs. It was with a pointed reluctance that he noted the exotic charcoal-black of her hair pooling around her waist, and with great frustration when the flowery word of "pretty" flashed past his mind as he admired how soft it looked, almost bidding him to touch it (not that he would, what if she had _germs_?).

The next thing he noticed rather begrudgingly was the slip of a dress she wore, stretching across the swell of her breasts before flowing down to just barely covering what was deemed (at it's bare minimum) appropriate. She really was beautiful, the shorter man noted with a twinge of dislike. He'd seen women from the Capital before, their hair perfectly coiffed and lips painted ruby red, but she... she was _different. _Levi wasn't the type to be smitten at first sight, though. Attraction, maybe, considering it was just an irrepressible facet of human nature, but he wasn't the kind to be completely head-over-heels with one's beauty (which this girl seemed to have in _spades_, he noticed dryly). He was Humanity's Strongest for a reason. He was merciless, and ruthlessly hard-hearted as a result of that.

Happiness and romance were not things that went hand-in-hand with the burdens of being Humanity's greatest soldier.

And so, Levi refused to be swayed by the gentle curve of her hips, nor the velvety pink of her lips.

What he _did _let capture his attention though were the marks mapping her creamy skin, all ugly and purple and blue, as well as the bandage wrapped tightly around one slender wrist and most alarmingly, the unsettlingly _chilling _hollowness of her dark gaze.

Levi knew that look. It was the look of someone who had lost all hope and succumbed to great despair, just like the expressions of many soldiers who had barely survived their first mission outside of the Walls.

Such a look did not befit a young girl such as herself when there were no wars for her to fight.

"You," Levi began after his appraisal, successfully maintaining the usual coolness of his gaze, "what are you doing here?"

When she didn't reply, the Lance Corporal grit his teeth, eyes narrowing at the dazed and completely detached look in her eyes. It was as if she were in some faraway place, in a world Levi's voice could not simply crack through.

Well damned if he be ignored by some _brat._

"Leave us," Levi quickly ordered, as the two Military Police officers hurriedly scuttled off, shutting the door behind them.

The girl obviously did not know what to anticipate next from him, for the next thing she knew she was being tugged firmly by the hair, head raised to have no choice but to look the Lance Corporal right in the eye.

Levi could have smirked at the way her eyes widened in shock as she registered the proximity between them, but he chose to keep a severe sharpness to his gaze as he decided to teach the girl a lesson. Not like that lesson he'd taught the Yaeger brat back in that fateful courtroom, but one with a similar effect. Whoever she was, Levi was unwilling to accept being disrespected by her, no matter how pretty her hair was (it really _was _soft, he noted reluctantly) or how _good _she looked up close.

"When someone talks to you," Levi enunciated lowly, as the girl simply stared back at him unflinchingly, her dark gaze piercing into his light one, "it's only polite to acknowledge them and answer back, _brat.__" _Levi added harshly, as he noticed something _flicker _in her even gaze. "You've been raised with some pretty shitty manners, you know that?"

The Corporal was slightly taken aback, and even amused, when he noticed the flash of _something_ again pass through her eyes, the way she seemed to want to retort in reply _almost _bringing a smirk to his face before she grew limp under his gaze, eyes hollow and detached once more. At this, Levi's eyes narrowed. _Just what was this brat playing at?_

"... I'm sorry, sir," the girl recited almost mechanically, bowing slightly to him so that the dip of her back was exposed, "the King ordered me here, for you."

_For me? _Levi now thought wildly, clearly caught off-guard by this new piece of information. He'd been offered women before by the King, but never like this... they'd simply lounged around whilst he had made no effort whatsoever to even _look _in their direction. She, _she _was just barely a _child._

_Just what does that old fucker think he's doing?_

The next thing Levi knew was that the girl was slipping off the straps of her dress, the bewildered man instantly shooting out a hand to stop her from advancing any further. "Just what the _fuck _do you think you're doing?" he hissed dangerously, as she appeared seemingly oblivious to the oddness of her actions. Almost innocently, the young female simply tilted her head to the side, her gaze as empty and shadowy as always whilst his was heated and agitated in reverse. If anything, it only served to increase the pounding of his head tenfold.

"Do with me what you will, master," she stated simply, as Levi dazedly retracted his hand from her, thoughts and confusion running rampant in his mind. Whatever shit she and the King were pulling, he would not stand for it. Certainly not, what with the snatches of skin peeking out from her tiny dress, and the alluring plumpness of her lips. In fact, Levi was about to march out of the room and demand answers when the next thing he knew the white, lacy slip of her dress had pooled to around her ankles, leaving the girl bare and naked before him in all her glory. The King had used women before to try and sway him, but _this _was different. This girl was commanding and overpowering him with barely a whisper of her lips and a tilt of her head.

_Shit._

And it was with great lament that Levi noted, much to his despair and agony, despite all his grievances with the situation at hand,

_fuck, her abs were hot._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Firstly I'd like to say thank you _so _much for the reviews! There's nothing nicer than knowing another person took the time to not only read your writing, but also take the time to review it as well :) ! So thank you all and I hope your future days are blessed with canon RivaMika feelz and the such.

Addressing some of your questions, yes it is an AU about what would have happened if Mikasa had never been saved by Eren. Therefore she has no personal connection whatsoever with any of the other soldiers, though more shall be revealed later about that. I'm not going to confirm or deny right now your current headcanons/predictions about how Mikasa ended up, but I will explore that through the story :)

So enjoy, once again I think this is my favourite out of all my fics ever so I hope you'll stick around for the ride (to completion hopefully hahaha), please tell me what you think!

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**Twenty One Days**

**by _sweetlittlething_**

**Chapter II**

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Standing there, naked before a complete and utter stranger hadn't exactly been what Mikasa had pictured herself ever doing six years ago.

But, this was her life, and she would endure, like a stubborn weed sprouting from between the cracks of a pavement, resilient and oh so _ugly_ and _worthless_.

She just wished she didn't feel so damn _cold. _

It was... _peculiar, _though. The way this man stood there, so still and silent, whereas others would have already moved to make use of her broken body, running their cold and clammy fingers over her pallid flesh, marking her already worn skin with more of those ugly blue and purple marks. Mikasa's was a body that everyone claimed for themselves, signing bruises onto her as proof of their ownership, proof of their empty conquer which she let them get away with. She wore them as reminders, as stamps of those who had used her, like shameful war medals.

Those bruises were the only proof that she existed, other than the numbing coldness ever-present in her stomach.

Mikasa had decided that this man was indeed strange, as she expectantly waited for his light, sharp eyes to roam over her body the way all the other men's did in the past. And what was with his crass way of talking? For someone as... short, as him, he had a peculiar authoritative air about him, his very presence exuding power and control. He seemed almost unassuming, what with his height and his quietly rough presence, but the young half-Oriental couldn't help but also note that his face was really quite handsome, despite the severity of it.

(His height was pretty cute too, a thought which both mortified and surprised her in equal measure).

Seconds trickled by with inaction and for the first time in a long time Mikasa felt something foreign bloom in her chest: embarrassment. _What was taking so long? _Isn't that why she was here, to serve him with her body, let him indulge in unspeakable things with her, as was her duty? Normally by now the man would already be slipping into her, whilst she just lay there, cold and unresponsive, his body rocking with pleasure whilst hers with a vague feeling of wanting to simply fade away from him, fade away from everything. All of a sudden Mikasa couldn't suppress the thoughts that were now flying around in her head. Was she too ugly? That couldn't be it, whilst Mikasa was by no means vain, she knew she was at least somewhat attractive. It was how she ended up in this mess in the first place, other than the value of her half-Oriental status. Was he a virgin, too inexperienced to know what to do next? Or was he simply (as palace rumours suggested) _gay?__  
_

Feeling frustration sear through her, Mikasa wanted to cover up as her cheeks regrettably bloomed bright red, shifting slightly under his cool, nonchalant gaze. At one point she thought he was admiring her abs (she'd gotten them from working out whenever she had the time back under the possession of her previous owner, thinking before that if she got strong enough she could kill her captors), but with his indifference now she was beginning to doubt herself. It was an odd feeling, and she didn't like it. Searching his eyes there was none of the familiar want or lust or desire that she'd long learnt to recognise with the past men she'd been with. Instead, there was...

"Cover up," she heard suddenly, her dark eyes snapping wide open whilst he turned his back to her, as if giving her the privacy to do so (if she was so wishful, in reality he was probably sickened by those ugly, ugly, _ugly _bruises mapping her skin). For a moment Mikasa was stunned speechless, cheeks still tinged a faint pink as she pinned his back with her shocked gaze. _Had he just rejected her? _The idea of it felt more humiliating than the idea of him actually touching her.

Oddly, Mikasa began to feel very, _very _self-conscious.

Obligingly yet shamefully, Mikasa slipped on the flimsy dress, for the first time feeling uncertain and confused as to what to do next. Gown now snugly pulled over her form, Mikasa took a brief moment to assess herself, worry biting at her lip. Her dress, was it too short? Capital women wore beautiful gowns and skirts that went to their ankles, maybe he thought he was too good for a common, filthy slut such as herself. She didn't blame him, she'd been used, _a lot, _and though it had never been a problem with other men before she knew there were some who would look down on her for it. Still, the confusion persisted, settling rather awkwardly against the coldness in her stomach. All her life she'd been governed by someone else, and now with no clear directive, she felt lost and confused. Like a small child, almost.

She began to feel herself hate him for it.

"Master...?" Mikasa piped up softly, before he quickly cut her off, gaze hard and penetrating.

"- and none of that '_m__aster_' bullshit, either," Levi snapped bluntly, not intending to sound as harsh as he did. "If you're going to call me something then call me Levi," he said simply.

"Le...vi..." the dark-haired girl whispered dazedly, the name feeling foreign on her tongue, as she released the hem of her tiny dress from her fingers. It wasn't normal that the people she'd let fuck her would be so intimate so as to tell her their name, unless they wanted to for some kinky or perverted purpose. As angry as she should be at that man for making her feel a whole spectrum of emotions she wasn't comfortable with, the thought of him giving his name to her made her feel a little warm. Special, even.

That was why she was even more bewildered when he asked her for her own name.

"My... name...?" Mikasa whispered softly, almost as if she couldn't believe it. It'd been so long since someone had talked to her like an actual person, acknowledged her as more than something to be used then discarded.

_Warm..._

Levi merely maintained his emotionless, cool gaze.

"Yes, your name," he repeated impatiently, arms crossed whilst she just _stood _there, slightly swaying from side to side. "Unless you want me to keep calling you 'brat' or 'little shit'," he spoke snarkily, as Mikasa's obsidian eyes narrowed slightly at his sass. "Take your pick."

"Mikasa," she replied forcefully, now standing firm and just a little more sure of herself, "Mikasa Ackerman."

"Mikasa Ackerman, eh..." the short Corporal repeated slowly, enunciating each vowel with his flat voice whilst Mikasa felt a pleasant warmth burst through her again. Despite everything Mikasa had always treasured her name, it being one of the last remnants that proved her family existed at one point. Knowing that her parents had given her such a name (other than the tattoo tucked beneath bone-white bandages on her wrist) helped her remember that the world had once been beautiful at some point, a place of big, yellow sunflowers and endless blue skies of cloud and promised sunshine.

Well, before she had realised what a cruel place it was anyhow.

"Unusual name. Oriental?" Levi inquired, though his tone was flat and projected a sort of disinterest about him. Mikasa was slightly impressed by his knowledge of the origin of her name. Not many would be able to identify her heritage just from her name alone.

Not one for words, Mikasa nodded slowly, as Levi closed his eyes tiredly. She felt slightly wary of him, the way he tried to pry at her deteriorated walls with his questions and probably feigned interest. "The last," Mikasa found herself adding in spite of herself, surprised at how willing she'd been to share more about herself. Contrary to her initial apprehension, there was something delightful about someone wanting to know more about you. Addictive, almost, after you'd been starved of it for several years. Being acknowledged as a person rather than someone's free ride was slightly refreshing. Relieving, almost. Levi raised a single brow, eyes open for just a moment before shutting them again. "You don't say?" _No wonder the King chose her. She'd be worth a fortune on the black market._

"Mikasa Ackerman," Levi now spoke up after a while, as he settled himself down on the edge of the large bed, she having yet to move from her place, "it's been a very... long, day. If you don't mind, I think it would be best if you left now."

So he really _was _dismissing her. Mikasa, however, did not budge, instead opting to awkwardly shuffle on the spot.

"I'm sorry, Mas - Levi," she quickly corrected herself, as he lazily slid open one light-coloured eye to address her, "but the King has ordered me to stay here." She paused for a moment, her eyes cast to the side, "... with you."

And suddenly it all was in fucking clarity for the short Corporal. _That bastard... _Levi thought fiercely, thinking of the King, _giving me a fucking _child _to convince me to join his side... _

"He told me to let you do what you wanted with me... Levi."

It was disarming, how easily she could say such a thing, how easily she could surrender herself to another. Even Levi must have been caught off-guard by her cold, matter-of-fact tone, eyeing her closely as her face resumed its blank state that she had become so accustomed to wearing over the past years. In spite of her beauty, up close he could see her more clearly: worn, battered, with a certain poignant sadness about her that was reflected in her dark, inexpressive eyes and the subtle yet gentle slump in her shoulders. It was almost as if she had nothing left to give, leaving her as nothing more than a discarded shell. A trampled flower, shriveled and wilting right before his eyes.

Levi forced himself to look away.

"Don't you have a room to retire to?" Levi muttered, carefully pulling off his jacket before folding it beside him on the bed. "In fact, aren't you a little too young to be doing this?" there was a heaviness to his tone as the man's thoughts began to delve into his past, unwillingly reflecting on all of his fallen comrades who had been deemed 'soldiers' when they were barely of drinking age. _They were young, so young. And dead. _Levi shook his head. "What about your parents? Your family?"

And it was when Levi glanced upon her suddenly cold, distant stare that he realised this girl before him was no mere child. She was haunted by ghosts that were too big for her to contain, her expression (or lack, thereof) a direct mirror of his own every time he returned from a scouting expedition, hands covered in blood that was not his own nor any damned Titan's.

It was in that instance that Levi realised she was just like him.

"They're dead," she said simply, baring her very soul for him to see whilst her eyes revealed nothing at all (no emotion, no life, just cold, _cold _emptiness). Mikasa was used to giving to others; giving her body, her innocence, her warmth, her very existence until there was nothing left for her to hold onto. It wasn't hard, being so fucking generous, when there was nothing valuable about her to keep for herself anyhow. Giving Levi, practically a stranger, this bit of her past was of no big deal to her. She was used to it.

The bruises on her skin and the dead look in her eyes were more than enough to attest for her unending 'generosity'.

But if Levi felt guilty about such a confession he didn't show it, instead carefully tucking his expression into a face of inoffensive apathy. For a moment, his face was shadowed, obscured, Mikasa unable to distinguish the expression on his face. "I see," he said simply, tone unapologetic but noticeably softer than before. A tense, reflective silence passed between the two before Mikasa spoke up once again.

"And I have no room," she added evenly, vaguely annoyed by how long her hair was and how dearly she wished to cut it. When Levi shot her a dubious look, as if to ask where indeed she _did _stay then before he had arrived here, she explained, "I usually sleep in the King's room. Or one of the soldier's, if that is what is asked of me."

_Well shit, _Levi thought on a rather depressing note, as a sense of knowing dawned on him like a rock sinking to the pit of his stomach. He knew he shouldn't be surprised by such things, seeing as to how many girls her age wandered the underground of the Capital during his thug days doing the exact same thing for a living, but he still felt unnerved by such news all the same. _So she's nothing but the palace's number one plaything, _he realised bitterly, feeling his resentment towards the King and his company in general build. It was wrong. Wrong enough for Levi to feel _sick _from it, which was pretty shitty considering he'd seen a _lot, _been through a _lot_._  
_

It wasn't his business though, and Levi made it his staunch life-motto to never go meddling in other's business if he was able to. Getting involved only entailed unnecessary headaches, as well as attachments... really, he should be dismissing her, sending her off just so he could have at least some piece of serenity in this godforsaken place. But when the thought of her being sent back into the King's chambers, or some other lowlife's quarters suddenly flitted into his mind...

_those bruises..._

"Fine," the Corporal said abruptly, snatching the girl's wrist as she startled in response (her flinch did not go unnoticed by him, _that _fucking_ King - _). His grip wasn't like the way other men usually touched her, demanding and possessive. His was firm, but kind. It was a rough, almost unwilling kindness interlaced with his touch but Mikasa didn't mind it. In fact, it was a welcome change to the usual clammy, cold hands of all the past men she'd been with.

Mikasa felt her self slowly relax beneath his touch, going as limp as a ragdoll. _"Do what you want with me," _her body's complacency seemed to speak to him, probably a long-practiced form for her, _"I'm yours. Do what you will. Take what you want."_

Levi shut his eyes for a second, taking in a deep breath. He knew he was probably going to regret it, but...

"You can stay."

Mikasa couldn't help herself, dark gaze narrowing in suspicion. "What? Why?"

Levi seemed flustered but this question, giving a 'tsk' before sharply turning his head to the side, releasing his grip just as he quickly as he had grabbed her (much to Mikasa's disappointment).

"Take it or leave it," Levi bit out, his tone now rigid and hard. If Mikasa was bothered by his harsh demeanor though, she didn't show it, her eyes still watching him closely. "But I'm not going to do anything with you, understand?" he told her plainly and with conviction, this time matching her own gaze with his sharp one. This confused Mikasa all the more, much to her annoyance. If they weren't going to have sex, then what else was she supposed to do with him? Providing a good fuck was the only reason she was needed, the only reason anyone ever wanted her or kept her around really.

_What does he want from me?_

"And another thing," the short Corporal added casually, as Mikasa tried to appraise him for any hidden motives, taking in the broadness of his back and the almost humorous cravat tied immaculately around his neck, "I'll let you have my bed, but - "

"_No!_" Mikasa exclaimed, a little too anxiously for Levi's liking, "I couldn't," she explained hurriedly, jaw clenched. "It wouldn't be proper. The King - "

" - doesn't have to know, the lazy pig," Levi cut in swiftly, his gaze quite severe as the words came out. Mikasa could tell there was some animosity between the Corporal and the monarch, but for what reasons she couldn't ascertain. Well, the King _was _a pretty shitty person, the way he indulged in the people's taxes so freely for his own personal gain. But was that it? "He asked you here to have me fuck you, did he not?" he said bluntly, surveying her with his lazy yet keen gaze.

Mikasa didn't even blush at the inappropriateness of it all, nor the crassness of his language. It did her no good to be sensitive in a world that was so rough, ruthless and_ cruel_. She'd learnt that lesson, a long, long time ago. "it's true," Mikasa admitted with a nod of her dark head, "he told me to keep you satisfied during your stay."

Levi's eyes narrowed. "Hm," he simply grunted, his suspicions confirmed. _Slimy bastard. _"Well you're having the bed." And before she could protest once more, "I don't want to hear it. I barely sleep anyway, so it's useless to me anyhow. But first off," all of a sudden Levi pushed himself off the bed, stalking towards Mikasa until they were toe-to-toe, barely a breath apart. Despite her small desire to take a step back, the girl remained firmly in place, standing upright and tall, gaze emotionless yet unwavering. She refused to bend backwards. She felt like it would disappoint him if she did so, which was something she strangely did not want to do.

Up close, Mikasa noted rather mirthlessly that their height distance really was quite noticeable from here, and yet she felt evenly-matched with him. Equals, even.

The feeling of it made her feel oddly lighter for the first time in many years.

"One rule," he breathed lowly, the proximity between them oddly electric, almost far more intimate than her actual sexual encounters with men from the past, "take a shower first. I don't want any filthy brats sharing a room with me, you hear?" he told her plainly, before walking past her and out the door.

It took Mikasa a few seconds to process what he said before she finally turned around swiftly to look at the door, almost as if she still expected him to be there.

_Did he... _Mikasa thought to herself in a flurry, emotion bleeding out onto her skin in the form of red cheeks, the only colour on her skin other than the ugly splotches of blue and purple,

_just call me 'filthy'?!_

* * *

"That half-Oriental," Levi heard over the gentle clatter of dinner plates and cutlery, his back rigid as he cut rather boredly into the platter of steak before him, "did you find her to your... liking?"

Levi stopped with his slicing of meat to wipe his mouth delicately with a provided handkerchief, before replying. "I don't want her," the shorter man replied simply, as the King seemed affronted by this. "Send her home or something. She's too young to be doing this."

Instantly, Levi heard a chortle coming from across the dining table, sending the Corporal's sharp gaze now pinned directly to the monarch's lazy smirk. "Surely you jest! That girl was worth a fortune, at least 10 of my gold rings!" he exclaimed crudely, as Levi scowled at his antics. "I was lucky to even have been able to acquire a specimen as lovely as herself, apparently she's the last of her kind on the market," he said smugly, not noticing the dangerous glint in the Corporal's otherwise cool gaze. "Not to mention she's well-trained... an obedient little pet, she is, sometimes I even let the guards, when they're good - "

"_Enough_," Levi interrupted cleanly, his tone and face betraying not a hint of emotion despite the tempest that was whirling inside. "I didn't ask for a life story, your _Highness,_" the light-eyed man said coolly, the King frowning deeply at Levi's flippant disregard towards him, "I don't want her. That is all." There was a tone of such finality to it, that despite his obvious authority over him, even the King felt inclined to obey the short yet powerful man. Uncomfortably, he cleared his throat, tonight's dinner now feeling rather dry in his mouth.

"Give her time, will you Corporal?" the King pleaded with him in a light-hearted tone, as Levi wordlessly returned to the meat on his plate, slicing it delicately with the knife provided. Levi hated meat, despite the deliciousness of it and the scarcity of it within the Walls. Meat meant luxury and privilege, and that was not something Levi deserved, as blood-stained with guilt as he was.

(The only happiness he deserved could be found in the satisfaction of slaying yet another Titan, their blood steaming off his face, vengeance on the tip of his blades).

"If you really don't come around to her, well," the King sighed helplessly, stuffing a whole chunk of steak into his mouth, "I'll just take her back then. She's still needed around the palace, after all." At this, Levi's eyes widened slightly, his grip on the knife tightening substantially. "But _only _if you're sure," the King added with a smile, perfectly oblivious to the Corporal's turmoil.

Levi sat on edge for the rest of the evening, thoughts of Mikasa and the Militiary Police (and the _king, _that _bastard _king) swirling in his head, making his already flaccid appetite virtually non-existent. He _so _did not need this. He already had trouble sleeping, thinking about his dead comrades and the fact that more continued to die every single day, but adding a quiet, broken half-Oriental girl on top of that? He could care less if she'd willingly appointed herself to such a... _position, _but it was clear that she was simply a victim of unfortunate circumstances thrust into this undesirable situation (courtesy of the cruel world).

He knew he shouldn't care about her. There were hundreds of people each day dealt a cruel hand by fate, that was just the way the world was. It was completely illogical, to want to help someone he barely knew nor wanted to know, really. Levi preferred keeping to himself and by getting involved with this girl he knew he would just be doing himself a disservice. It all seemed like too much of a hassle, now. Another burden just waiting to be pushed onto his shoulders.

_I knew getting involved wasn't a good idea, _Levi told himself in frustration as he resigned to pushing away his plate of unfinished delicacies. It would be so easy to just abandon her now. There wasn't anything forcing him to help her, no blood-bound contract, no whispered promises and exchanges, no special feelings (now _that _earned a snort) nothing. Of course he had a reasonably-righteous heart but Levi knew when to pick his battles and this certainly didn't seem like one of them. What could he do for her anyway? He'd only be here for three weeks, nothing significant could possibly occur within those 21 days for him to able to change her fate.

"Levi?" the King now piped up cluelessly, blinking incredulously at the barely touched plate.

"I'm done."

"Excellent!" the King exclaimed cheerily, eyeing the plate of neglected steak hungrily whilst his appeared licked clean, "perhaps it's time for some dessert, then?"

* * *

Shutting the door behind him, Levi had to repress the urge to groan from relief after having _finally _been released from the King's presence. It was mentally draining, he swore, to be around such _brainless _people (perhaps even enough to rival the exhaustion he felt when dealing with Hanji, that damned _Abnormal_). Nonetheless, Levi combed back his hair with his fingers, massaging his scalp in vain as he attempted to relieve the tension built up from the day (though it seemed like it'd been accumulating his whole lifetime). Slipping off his cravat neatly and beginning to unbutton his top, it came as a surprise for him then when a figure emerged from the connected private bathroom.

Long, dark hair plasted to her cheeks, water drops glistening off her was none other than Mikasa Ackerman in the flesh, thoroughly bathed and pleasantly sweet-smelling. She looked much more relaxed than when he had last saw her, cheeks still flushed from the warm water and lashes wet. There was _one _thing bothering him though.

"Oh, you're back." Not even a blink.

"Your dress," Levi spoke now, concerns raised after further inspection, "it's _filthy_."

At this, Mikasa raised a single, delicate brow, her eyes still stony and frigid in spite of everything. "Oh?"

"I can see the stains from here," Levi remarked in revulsion, Mikasa actually quite affronted. She'd worked extraordinarily hard, scrubbing her skin so hard until it was red and raw and _clean _(it had hurt, hurt _so _much pressing the bruises), lathering her long dark hair until it was silky and soft, soaking in the water until her fingers had withered into prunes. To hear such a blatant disregard of her efforts, it was...

infuriating.

"I don't know what you want me to do," Mikasa said simply, a slight frostiness to her tone, "it's the only dress I own."

_Huh. _So this was going to be a lot harder than he thought. "Regardless," Levi argued, unflinching, "that piece of crap is ungodly with how dirty it is. You are _not _staying in this room wearing _that_," _so help me God (what of the _germs?_)_.

Now, Mikasa sucked in a breath, turning to face him fully with a defiant glare that Levi had no trouble meeting. "Well excuse me, _sir,__" _Mikasa said coolly, her eyes still distant but not completely empty, "but if I'm not allowed to wear anything what do you want me to do? Go naked again?" she intended to be snarky with such a risky response but all Mikasa felt was slight embarrassment. If the reaction from earlier today had indicated anything, Mikasa was in no mood to go through such awkwardness again. (Especially with such an _irksome _shortie.)

Levi appeared slightly flustered by this reply, though kept it carefully concealed beneath his indignantly blase facade (seeing those killer abs would be the _death _of him the second time round, that was for sure). "Take this, then," he commanded simply, tossing a spare dress-shirt of his into her unsuspecting hands. "Change before you go to bed," he instructed her plainly, before heading out of the room once more. Mikasa for the umpteenth time that day felt at a loss at what to do due to this strange, enigmatic man. He wasn't exactly kind to her, but Mikasa felt almost relieved to be in his presence. There was just something about him, she concluded without further thought before slipping on the top.

It was barely enough to cover her adequately, but she was not too bothered by it. Wearing it now, Mikasa could smell the faint scent of fragrant soap on the fabric, oddly reassuring for her. _What's with his obsession with cleanliness anyway, _Mikasa wondered vaguely before slipping under the covers of the bed, realising she had nothing else to do.

It was strange, and a little unnerving to have a bed to herself without having a man climbing on top of her, and for a brief moment Mikasa felt as if she were going to be swallowed up by the sheer enormity of it all. It was a little overwhelming, an entirely new experience for her as sad as it sounded.

Mikasa felt a dull ache resound in her chest as she took deep, slow breaths, realising that this was the first night in a long time she didn't have to spend with some man or stranger. The privacy of it all was... _refreshing._

Shutting her eyelids slowly, the young woman allowed her thoughts to drift into a world of sunflowers, and the irksome gaze of a man who really was too short for his own good.

* * *

_She went to sleep... _Levi thought to himself almost wonderingly, as his eyes briefly flitted to her sleeping face for a second, admiring how incredibly _young _she looked at the moment. After leaving her he'd gone for a walk around the palace, a way to fill the time and file away his thoughts whilst the beckon of sleep had yet to call to him. He hadn't been lying to her when he said he had trouble sleeping.

(_Who wouldn't, what with the faces of dead comrades, and blood, so much blood - )_

Noticing the peek of a familiar starched, white collar against her collarbone from beneath the sheets, Levi felt oddly satisfied.

_So the brat listened to me, after all._

The idea that she was wearing his button-up, having actually heeded him in spite of her emerging bull-headed ways, was a pleasing thought (better than that Yaeger brat Eren, that kid couldn't go an hour without fucking screwing up his orders, however unintentional it was).

_"Not to mention she's well-trained... an obedient little pet, she is, sometimes I even let the guards, when they're good - "_

Levi suddenly felt very irritated as the words flashed back in his mind, the serenity of the room now effectively shattered for him.

"Tch." Turning away from her slumbering form, Levi clutched the pen in his hand, before bringing it down to the parchment in front of him. Contrary to Erwin's beliefs Levi had _indeed _sneaked paperwork with him, now using this opportune time to get the otherwise tedious load done. Soon enough, Levi fell into an oddly peaceful routine, thoughts of the King and the Military Police long gone from his head now whilst he continued to work away, Mikasa meanwhile slumbering away unperturbed.

It was a peaceful evening for the remainder of the night, pen against paper, Mikasa safely tucked away from the prying hands of rotten men.

For the first time in a while, Levi felt strangely at ease.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hi everyone. Sorry this took a while, again thanks for the kind feedback because it really helped motivate me to write, as well as gave me some pointers as to what I was doing wrong ^^" I was a bit too excited to release the previous chapter so I'm very sorry if it wasn't refined to the standard that it should be, and I promise I will take more time in editing to make the chapters as best as they can be for you all!

This chapter just did not want to be written, ha ha! But there's something that I have to address in this chapter. I don't want Levi to be too OOC, suddenly fiercely overprotective of Mikasa and all that. I don't see Levi as the type to suddenly devote himself to helping someone, I think rather that the Corporal is the type of person who's seen and been through a lot and has sort of accepted that life can indeed be very unfortunate and cruel to people, and that's just the way it is. However, I also wanted to convey that despite that Levi actually has a pretty good moral code, and isn't the type to just sit back and watch someone suffer if he can help it (for example, he said in the anime he hates unnecessary deaths). This was the type of thinking I wanted to write Levi applying to Mikasa; coupled with his hate for the corruption of the King and the MP, Levi can't help but (begrudgingly) want to help Mikasa in her situation. So far there's no romantic feelings spurring either one on, rather just vague attraction (veiled with the friction generated by their personalities/interactions) and fascination with one another from the fact that they're both very similar (though they may not be fully aware of such attraction or similarities yet!). I'm trying to translate this into my writing but in case I can't here you go :)

Once again, thank you for all your in-depth reviews which help me to write better, as well as even your reviews just begging me to update (I'm so sorry it took so long!). Please review this chapter and until next time, see you then and enjoy.

* * *

**Twenty One Days**

**by _sweetlittlething_**

**Chapter III**

**.**

**.**

**.**

_******Day Two**_

* * *

_Mikasa was laying in bed, covers pulled right up to her chin as she basked in the comforting glow cast by the lamp in her room. It was bedtime for the little Ackerman in their humble farmland abode, and now Mikasa was just patiently waiting for her favourite time of the day: story-time._

_Mikasa knew her mother thought the young girl was well-past the age of such a childish past-time, but she didn't care. She loved the way her father would weave fantastical stories about noble knights slaying those awful Titans with his calming, reassuring voice; the way her mother would tell her stories about their clan (which calmed her down considerably after getting that painful_ _tattoo).__ It was a simple pleasure but the young girl relished in it, drinking in her father's artful story-telling as well as her mother's loving gaze, the memories of days gone past spilling out from her and into her daughter's awaiting ears. Mikasa particularly liked it when her mother and father would join together to recount the story of how they fell in love; it gave the little dark-haired girl hope that one day, maybe she too could have someone special by her side as well._

_She loved story-time. But most of all, she loved her parents, her _family_, so, _so_ much._

_"What story is it this time, papa? Mama?" Mikasa asked in an excited whisper as they now drew nearer to her, each of them settled on either side of her bed, both gazing at her with warm, loving eyes. Looking right back at them, dark eyes bright and _alive, _Mikasa couldn't help but notice how beautiful her mother was, and how handsome her father was. It was no wonder they ended up together. Beautiful things deserved beautiful happy endings, after all._

_She wished she could be beautiful for her future prince charming, too._

_"Well tonight, Mikasa," her father said kindly, Mikasa sitting up in bed now, covers drawn to her in an effort to keep warm, "we'll be telling a different story."_

_Oh boy! She loved it when they told her a new story. It was so fun hearing what fantastical tale they had conjured up for her now._

_"A story, about a wicked, sad girl who knew only how to hate the world."  
__  
Now _that _caused a falter in her otherwise sunny disposition. Mikasa didn't like it when they told sad stories; they knew that. The last time they had told her one such story had been about an old dog. The dog had waited, and waited, and waited for its master to return to its side, never having realized its master had long abandoned it before it finally gave one last sigh and simply died, forgotten forever to the world. Her mother had told her there was a moral in all of it, but Mikasa had been too beside herself with tears to even consider it. She was practically inconsolable afterwards.__  
_

_But if they had noticed Mikasa's apprehension, they paid no heed to it, instead continuing with their big, bright grins. "Now this girl was very bad. Once, she had been pretty, perhaps even the prettiest in all the lands. Her hair, dark like coal, her eyes, like glimmering jewels, and her skin, like the richest of milks. None could dare rival her beauty; it was truly unmatched throughout the whole kingdom." For some reason, this made Mikasa's heart begin to hammer anxiously, her parents' happy expressions now ominous in the warm light of the room. "But then, the girl began to become tainted. She became _ugly_."_

_"Mama, papa," Mikasa began uncertainly, not at all liking the now-chilling grins on their faces. Gone was the warmth in their eyes; instead a piercing chilliness haunted their drilling gazes. Now she just wanted to get away from them, to throw off her covers and simply vanish beneath their unending stare. "I don't, I don't like this story. A-another one."_

_"Nonsense Mikasa," her father admonished her a little too enthusiastically. "Just be a good little girl and listen. Anyhow," he continued, as Mikasa felt a creeping sensation of sickness twist in her belly, "this girl became incredibly hideous. It all started when she did something unthinkable. _

_She cast all her morals and dignity down the drain as she let a man _touch _her."_

Now _Mikasa knew for _sure _that something was very, _very_ wrong. "Mama, papa!" she tried again anxiously, dark eyes pleading with them, barely noticing how her small body had shifted into that of a woman's, her current self. "Please, I don't want to hear it! Just _stop_! Another story, another one!"_

**_ (_Another one, just stop it, _stop it,_ another one, please_ God_ another one - ! )**

_"But it didn't just end with one man," her mother's voice now overtook eerily, those sick, artificial smiles not _once _leaving their distorted, warped faces. "There was another, then another, then another and another..." Mikasa could barely breathe, feeling as if she was going to throw up. **(**_**She just wanted it to _stop_, she didn't enjoy it, she never wanted _this, _it wasn't fair **_**- ! )** "Countless men. And she would let them touch her in _vile _ways, let them have their despicable ways with her body until she was broken, pulled apart..." Mikasa felt her eyes squeeze shut, head feeling as if it were about to _explode _as she struggled to breathe. **(**_**She knew it was wrong, knew it was sick, she didn't like it, she _hated_ it, she didn't have a choice, why didn't they understand_ that_ - ? )**_ "... and left so, so ugly and tarnished. She let their hands snatch her beauty away, and that was the worst part. She _let _them."** (**_**No, no, no, _no_, stop, stop **_**STOP - )** "and maybe, inside, she enjoyed it, with how _easy _she was. How easily she let them defile her, whilst her parents lay dead in a pool of their own blood." **(**_**Oh _God_, why were they _doing_ this - !? )**

_"STOP IT! JUST STOP IT!"_

_"But you didn't stop them, did you Mikasa?" her 'parents' now stared at her unflinchingly, as the girl clutched the sides of her head to suppress a scream, body heaving, "you told yourself you wouldn't let it happen again the first time, but afterwards... you just _let _it happen, you dirty slut... it makes us sad, knowing we're the parents of some _whore. _Knowing that we died just so you could live your whole life on your back, with your legs spread apart. Pathetic._"_  
_

_And when she saw their hands reaching out to graze her, Mikasa let out a scream, kicking the covers away from her as she slammed her back against the headboard painfully. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" she heard herself cry shrilly, throat raw and aching, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" How could anyone think she _**liked** _it, when she was pressed against the cold, hard ground as some man climbed on top of her, grinning down at her? She was only _nine _for pete's sake, she hadn't even_ known _what he had been doing to her, and it had been the first time she'd ever wanted to just _die. _The pain, the humiliation (oh the _**pain**)_, and knowing that it would continue for the rest of her life. She hated it, hated them, hated the world, hated _**herself** -

_and all of a sudden, Mikasa looked down at her body only to see the bruises covering it, making her flesh look like some sickening canvas that had been angrily painted on with only blue and purple. She was an artwork of brokenness, in such disrepair and so, so _**ugly**.

_Mikasa felt an awful ache resonate in her chest. Only _'beautiful things deserved beautiful happy endings, after all'.

_"Mikasa, sweetie," her 'mother' now said with saccharine sweetness, the girl's eyes wide and struck with terror, standing up with her 'father' to the side of the bedroom door, "just be a good girl and don't make a fuss, okay?"_

_And just like that, Mikasa felt herself succumb to the endless swarm of hands clambering over her body, grabbing and squeezing and snatching and pulling and _ruining_. She wanted to sob and cry, but there was an even more painful realisation that hit her as the hands climbed all over her: she was _used _to it. Used to the sensation of unwanted hands twisting and pulling her, this way and that; used to the coldness that simply sunk to the pit of her stomach. Choking back a sob, Mikasa felt a single tear slide down her cheek as she drowned in the sea of hands, the feeling of empty _nothingness _resounding in her pitiful body. Was it her fault, for just letting it happen?_

_Was it okay to just let them do this to her?_

_..._

Of course, _Mikasa realised hopelessly as the hands continued their assault, her eyes simply staring up at the blank ceiling,_ of course it's okay. It's only natural.

Because the world is a cruel place.

_Shutting her eyes wordlessly, Mikasa let herself drift away to the all-too familiar sensation of her body being broken to tiny little pieces, all the while unaware of the tears streaming down her face; the muffled sobs wracking her body._

_Yes, the world was cruel, after all._

* * *

"Oi, shitty brat!" Levi called a little irritably, smacking the girl lightly as she tossed and turned in bed. "Oi, get up already!"

To say that he was in a bad mood was a huge understatement. In fact, if he was honest, he was seriously regretting his decision to let her stay in his room right now. Just as he had finally begun to doze on his desk, cheek nestled against long-forgotten paperwork and parchment, the short Corporal was rudely awakened (and royally _pissed_, for that matter) to the irritating small noises coming from the girl who had robbed him of his sleep and bed (well, technically he had _given _it to her, but he was in no mood to address that small fact right now).

Approaching her furiously, irritation and exhaustion proving to be a fatal concoction not only for the Corporal's temperament but for Mikasa's oncoming price to pay for such a misdemeanor, the Corporal had briefly been stopped in his tracks only to examine the dark-haired female more closely. There before him, twisted in crinkled, white sheets, was Mikasa herself, writhing and squirming relentlessly whilst emitting soft, intermittent whimpers and cries that vaguely reminded Levi of a kitten he'd seen being beaten by children during his underground days. She looked to be in a pretty sorry state, much to the softening of the Corporal's scowl (though by no means the weight of his exhaustion, casting dark smudges underneath his lidded eyes). _A nightmare, maybe? _Levi had had his fair share of those. It was the reason he had trouble sleeping in the first place.

"Shitty brat!" Levi repeated crankily, face set in a tired scowl as he continued his slightly childish ministrations in hopes of provoking a reaction from her. It wasn't that he wanted to get off on the wrong foot with her (albeit her being stark _naked _had certainly made a memorable first impression yesterday), but it was just way too early for this shit and combined with the fact he would be forced into having breakfast with the King straight afterwards, Levi was _not _looking forward to the overall crappy day ahead of him. Not to mention the fact he hadn't taken a shower yet (a _serious _travesty by Levi's books anyhow).

So yeah, this was _not _a good way to start the day right now._  
_

"Hey, you little shit! Is this the thanks I get for letting you stay in my room? Oi, get up already!" he tried again impatiently, tolerance wearing thin. Soon he was going to resort to more drastic measures, and, telling from the way Eren had looked so incredibly miserable after that last time he resorted to such measures in the courtroom, Levi knew Mikasa was not going to be pleased with it either. _A last resort then. _

"Mikasa!"

Suddenly, the dark-haired girl's eyes snapped wide open, wild and dazed as they looked around rapidly, Levi observing her expression all the while. Upon further inspection, perhaps she really wasn't okay. It was like observing the reaction of a panicked animal; cornered and wild and at its wit's end. She seemed to be sweating (_ugh, he was _so _going to have to change the sheets after_ this), and, much to Levi's concern, incredibly disoriented (holy _shit, _had she been _crying_?)._  
_

"Cruel..." Mikasa whispered weakly, just barely under her breath but loud enough for Levi to pick up on it.

_Cruel? _

_What does she...?_

"Brat..." Levi now spoke lowly, Mikasa still quite out of it, "hey, Mikasa..." he tried again, this time his tone noticeably softer. Every time he used her name she seemed to respond, so perhaps this approach would be more successful. He was right when as soon as he called her name, the distressed girl turning to pin him with her dark, worrying gaze, lips parted and skin ghostly pale. "You okay?" he asked, tone flat but coated with a subtle softness to it. Mikasa looked like she was in a pretty dark place right now from that nightmare, or whatever it was. He could only do what he could to coax her out of it, tiredness and early morning blues be damned.

Mikasa's eyes seemed to acknowledge him sharply for a moment, as if looking at him with fierce clarity before her dark orbs adopted that empty, blank look once more. Seeing this, Levi suppressed a sigh of relief as he shut his eyes briefly, before looking back at her stoic face once more. "Levi?" the dark-haired beauty whispered slowly, as if she just hadn't been suffering from some godforsaken nightmare. It was almost amazing how quickly she could regain her composure, closing off her walls once more. It was a skill that had taken Levi a bit of a while to pick up, right after his first scouting expedition. "Yeah, it's me," Levi bit out, his tone tight and heavy whilst his eyes were lidded from exhaustion, "you okay now or what?"

Mikasa blinked owlishly at his question, before looking down intensely at her arms for a moment and then returning her gaze to his hardened, slightly agitated glare. "What did I say yesterday about answering back, brat - _Mikasa_," Levi sighed wearily as he felt his head begin to pound again. Was it always this exhausting, interacting with other people? At least back in his thug days all he had to do was threaten and order people around, as well as finalise strictly-business deals. Nothing personal; just cold, quick business (and a knife in your back if you weren't careful enough). Becoming a soldier now had ironically ensnared him in making connections with others, which probably wasn't a good idea considering they lived lives involving a very high probability of death.

_Tch. So fucking troublesome._

Levi resisted the urge to slide his eyes shut once more, instead choosing to divert his very little energy into keeping a pointed gaze on the dark-haired girl's worrying condition. Whilst boredly examining her equally flat expression, the talented Corporal couldn't help but let his mind drift back to those words he had told the Yaeger brat, on what seemed like many a tragedy-filled, bloodstained day ago.

_The only thing we're allowed to do is to believe that we won't regret the choice we made._

Levi remembered how he had imparted such words to the reckless Titan-shifter in regards to the battlefield and trusting his comrades (_dead now, _Levi couldn't help but note with a distantly dissonant strike to his heart), but this time the only thing the weary Corporal could relate them to was this girl before him, eyes empty and alabaster skin as pale as the stars which shone so spectacularly down on them (stars which Levi couldn't help but find himself admiring during those nights where he just couldn't bare the dread of sleeping).

It really was a gamble, choosing to help her, and one that Levi was apparently already losing. If he were to truly follow through with this he would have to take into account that the odds were indeed _not _in his favour; what with the way his hands were tied under the power of the awful King; not to mention the fact that he was a pretty shitty individual himself with a fuckton of his own problems he had yet to deal with. Also, the lack of pure _fight_ in her eyes, the general apathetic resignation she had in general to her situation (he'd seen some sparks, some flashes and snatches of _something_, but was it _enough_?). Perhaps that was what troubled him most: she had given up. To see one as young as her, so weary and beaten by the world... even if he did help her, what was the chance that she may not even want it, or contribute with her own efforts? Levi would be severely pissed if he discovered he'd wasted all this time trying to beat a dead horse; trying to 'save' (Levi snorted at this notion; all he knew how to do was _kill _and _destroy_) a girl who had no intentions of being saved.

No, he couldn't save her. He had no reason to nor the means. Everything and everyone he had ever known eventually ended up as blood on his hands; blood that he had to wash off himself in the solitude of his room, where none could see the torment and pure _despair _lurking in his usually impassive eyes. He couldn't save Mikasa, but he would do what he had to when the time came. He could help her become stronger; help make her life a little easier during the next three weeks. It sounded pretty rich coming from a frigid asshole such as himself, but Levi was willing to _try_. Whatever that meant even he was having trouble comprehending, but he knew he couldn't leave the dark haired girl to suffer any longer under the hands of the King and his soldiers willingly.

_Will I regret it...? _he couldn't help but wonder, light eyes peering at her blank face tensely,

_becoming involved with this girl...?_

"I'm sorry," Mikasa simply replied, though she didn't sound particularly sorry (or anything_, really_) at all. Levi narrowed his eyes but said nothing, watching for any flicker of emotion, _anything_. Anything to convince him that this wasn't all just for naught; that helping her wasn't all just some vain enterprise (a question he often found himself wondering about humanity itself and fighting the Titans, what with all the blood, and so much dead, dead, _dead -)_. "Just a bad dream. That's all."

(_Hands tugging, her parents' hollow, stony gazes, that chilling _coldness_ -_ )

"Huh. I see."

What he really wanted to say, questions dancing at the tip of his tongue, had been something along the lines of "care to share?", but Levi knew better than prying where he had no business; venturing into a deep and dark place that not even Mikasa probably wanted to enter nor explore. He knew that feeling, of wanting to bear the burden of one's past and secrets alone, the reluctance to unload such an immense weight on another's shoulders. It was something he struggled with; he knew from talking to Erwin that it would be a big problem for him in the future, _was _a big problem for him right now, but the diminutive yet powerful Corporal couldn't help it.

He was Humanity's Strongest.

For now, he would have to be strong enough to dare to bear his burdens alone.

And so, swallowing down the questions that were plaguing him until they were tucked away to the pit of his stomach and the crevices of his thoughts, Levi simply let his gaze flicker to her unchanging face; lidded eyes almost bored whereas hers were simply devoid of anything at all.

Usually, it would be awkward; two almost strangers stuck in the same room, not a single word passing between them. But surprisingly enough, it was rather comfortable. Levi had always been a man who preferred action rather than words, and judging from the stony-faced girl, Mikasa wasn't one much for words either, what with the resolute firm line of her lips and her eyes which betrayed no desire at all to engage in conversation. The silence reigned for a few lilting moments more, Mikasa's gaze downcast and Levi's studying her's vaguely before he returned to reality.

"Anyhow," Levi finally spoke, his tone casual as he reached for a towel folded neatly on the chair adjacent to his desk, "I'm gonna take a shower now. If you wanna take a shit now is the time, because I'm sure as hell not gonna deal with the stench of it afterwards."

At his rather... choice words, Mikasa's dark gazed regarded him with slight affront, nose crinkling slightly before sweeping the long, dark curtain of her hair over one sloping shoulder. "Hm." she simply breathed in disapproval, still clad in only his uniform blouse which revealed her long, creamy legs to him. Noticing only now her state of undress (something which the stubborn Corporal blatantly refused to acknowledge nor dwell on, _damn her glorious abs and perfectly round - ), _he noted with barely a twitch of his lips that she hadn't even buttoned the garment all the way to the top, revealing a traitorous glimpse of chest peaking from the row of buttons. She really _was _beautiful, the short Corporal couldn't help but remark helplessly, much to his frustration.

_Self-control, _Levi reminded himself with a dry mouth, now putting to use his renowned self-disciplinary skills honed from years of training, brows furrowed only slightly in displeasure, _stop being such a perverted shit and get your act together. Focus.__  
_

"Tch. Lighten up a little, brat." Levi forced himself to bite out, stubbornly refusing to dwell on the pinkness of her lips and those dark, unnerving eyes. He hadn't even noticed the sudden red splashing his cheeks; something which the half-Oriental couldn't help but question the presence of curiously. "No need to have a stick up your ass 24/7, I was just messing with you." the words came out in an uncharacteristic hasty string of words, the Corporal having to adamantly blink away the image of the swell of her chest beneath the straining buttons and the memories of her bare form from the day before now currently assaulting his mind. Levi felt his heart begin to hammer slightly. _Christ, what is wrong with me!?_ All he wanted to do was take his goddamn shower, damn it! Sweeping past her, Levi slammed the door of the bathroom behind him, but not before yelling:

"And that shirt better be washed when you return it to me, got it!?"

* * *

_I wonder what all _that _was about... _Mikasa thought distantly, hands paused from their work as she recalled the short Corporal and the redness of his cheeks.

_Oh well. That shortie is pretty weird, anyway._

Resuming her work once more, Mikasa clenched the soaked garment in her hand before dipping it into the bucket again, this time taking a bar of soap and scrubbing it profusely. After observing how passionate the sharp-tongued Corporal was about her returning his blouse clean as well as his attitude to cleaning in general, the dark-haired girl had decided she would repay his generosity by washing the borrowed blouse as best as she could.

Briefly, the thought of dirtying it even more flitted rather amusingly by her mind, but Mikasa resisted the temptation, submerging the top for another rinse once more.

It was a slightly tedious task, but when Mikasa felt indebted to someone she made sure to always return the favour in kind, as if bound by some code of honour in a world where honour and chivalry funnily enough did not exist at all. Though she currently wasn't too fond of the Lance Corporal, what with his prickly personality, obsession with cleaning and enduring tendency to call her "little shit" and "brat", she didn't think he was a man of bad character. The fact that he acknowledged her by her name (when he wasn't referring to her with profanities), as well as didn't use the opportunity to have sex with her the way other men did had truly impacted on Mikasa's perception of him, forcing her to examine him a little more closely; _differently._ Not to mention he'd let her use his bathroom and sleep in his bed; such luxury behind a simply gesture for her had strangely touched the girl's heart.

She couldn't help but wonder _why _though. What did he have to gain? If there was one lesson Mikasa knew, it was that this world was cruel, and nothing was ever done without the intent to gain another thing. So _why_? Mikasa's brows furrowed, garment in her hands now hovering just above the bucket of water below. The Corporal was a strange man, shrouded in mystery and secrets of his own, she was sure. Trying to figure him out was as if viewing him surrounded by fog; so much hidden, so much yet to be revealed.

Oddly, she found herself wanting to know more and more about him during the next 3 weeks.

Finally after ensuring that his blouse was pristine, Mikasa laid the drenched piece of clothing on a nearby flat rock, before getting to work with washing her own dress. Thankfully enough the matronly head-maid had taken pity on Mikasa's uncharacteristic appeal for clothing to borrow, and now the dark-haired female was wearing an old but overall clean white dress, this one reaching a modest length of up to her knees. The best part was, it had long sleeves, successfully covering the bruises dotting her arms. Usually most of the other palace staff didn't like consorting with her, disgusted not only by her role to the King but also the fact that they believed she was freeloading; allowed to eat their cooking and dwell in the palace whilst she was showered with the King's favour.

Mikasa could care less about what they thought.

It wasn't as if it were her choice to be here anyway. She'd been through far worse than a few dirty glares and whispered insults thrown her way to be bothered by such petty, trivial things. Mikasa had long learnt that the only way to survive in such a cruel, twisted world was to become cruel yourself; shutting out others and refusing to let anyone in, no matter how much they reached out to you. In life, you couldn't afford to care for any other than yourself and the ones dear to your heart. And, considering how all those she had ever loved had died 6 years ago, the answer about who and what she cared for was simple enough for her (though the dark-haired girl couldn't help but wonder _when _she too had stopped caring for herself, and anything else in the world either).

However, a small part of her couldn't help but hope; _wish_, that the short-tempered yet kind-handed Corporal didn't care about such things either; didn't care about her soiled, tainted 'duty' to the King nor the bruises marking her flesh.

Bowing her head slightly, flustered by such uncharacteristic thoughts, Mikasa submerged the dress in the bucket, her sleeves rolled up as she reached to pick up the idle soap bar -

- only to have a hand suddenly clutch her own outstretched one.

Mikasa wanted to instantly retract from the sudden contact, before her dark eyes widened slightly at who was holding her hand.

"You!" the voice spoke, Mikasa's form going limp in their hold, "What are you doing here?"

Mikasa noted distantly, that their hand was cold.

* * *

Levi was bored, and when Levi was bored he often became frustrated at the idea that he was doing nothing when he _should _have be doing something. Like killing Titans, for instance, or even reprimanding that shitty glasses Aberrant Hanji for terrifying the poor Yaeger brat with her proposals to experiment on him. But holed up in the palace, under the King's watchful eyes, Levi was effectively denied any chance of getting out onto the battlefield and helping in his fellow soldiers' fight for Humanity's sake.

The short man felt his teeth grit at the thought of how utterly _useless _he was at the moment.

Pausing in his tracks briefly to scowl up at the bright sun glaring down at him, Levi felt irritation surge through his chest as he recalled what had happened earlier today. After taking his shower, Levi hadn't even thought about where the brat had run off to as he emerged from the bathroom, too preoccupied with his disdain towards having to eat breakfast with the King to even consider the empty room he was greeted with. Nonetheless, after that God-awful breakfast, by some divine intervention or another the King had informed the short-tempered Corporal that he had some official business to attend to, instead suggesting Levi go spend some time alone in the palace gardens. Naturally, Levi, giving less than 2 shits about the King's words went straight to his room to do some paperwork, only to begin pondering the whereabouts of the girl with black hair and vacant eyes.

Levi's casual wondering became genuine concern when he realised with great agitation she could currently be wandering around the palace with nothing but his _blouse _on.

After that thought, Levi couldn't concentrate on his paperwork at all.

_Where in the hell could that shitty brat be, _Levi found himself wondering now for the umpteenth time that day as he continued his 'leisurely' stroll, glancing at the rather impressive garden adorning the palace grounds. It wasn't that he was so madly attached to her that he needed to know where she was, simply he had nothing better to do (in his power currently) and the thought of her wandering around in nothing but his blouse was making him a _little _more anxious than he thought. It wasn't something he could easily explain, and, especially considering he was one who didn't particularly enjoy dwelling on things such as his emotions, his slight worry now for the bruised and battered girl frustrated and agonized him to no end.

_Keh, _Levi thought to himself with a wave of exasperation washing over him, _that idiot better be okay..._

Anyhow, he had to be logical about this. Mikasa had been... employed in this palace for Christ knows how long, perhaps she was part of some daily routine (_when she isn't needed by the King, _Levi thought bitterly) that required her to be gone during the day? Who know, maybe right now she was sweeping or even peeling some potatoes, safely hidden away from men with their bruising hands and cruel intentions. Levi shut his eyes in the warmth of the afternoon, soaking in it with a feeling of slight ease. Yes, that was it. He was just being too paranoid. He shouldn't even care this much anyway; he barely knew her in the first place.

It was when he was lazily admiring the red roses growing so splendidly in the gardens that Levi finally caught sight of her.

... only to see her being manhandled by some _soldier._

_That fucking prick, _Levi thought venomously, disdain dripping from his now-rigid body as he began to _very quickly_ make his way to the scene. There ahead of him was Mikasa, splayed out across the neatly-trimmed grass whilst an unidentified man loomed over her, Levi's eyes narrowing dangerously when he saw the manic, almost depraved look on the soldier's face. Levi wasn't even aware of the way his fists clenched as searing hot anger tore right through him. Though his face was deadly calm, inside Levi was _furious._

Coming closer and ever closer, somewhere at the back of his mind Levi made certain to himself that there _would_ be hell to pay.

In the back of his mind, the Corporal almost pitied the soldier for what would come next.

_Almost._


End file.
